Apple's embarrassment: iPhone overstates signal strength
By siliconindia   |   Wednesday, 07 July 2010, 15:16 IST   |    15 Comments
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Apple's embarrassment: iPhone overstates signal strength
New York: It was a big embarrassment for Apple as it admitted to a software hiccup in its recently launched iPhone 4. Apple admitted that the iPhones overstated network signal strength, reports Sinead Crew of Reuters. Apple owned up on its signal strength problem and accepted the crisis dates back to the original iPhone released in 2007. The admission about the glitch came up as there were mounting complaints about the phone's wraparound antenna. Apple has promised to fix the same in a few weeks time. After its June 24 debut, this was the third time in less than three weeks that Apple had to apologize to iPhone 4 customers. Consumers have complained regarding phone reception problems when held in a certain way. Even standing still in one place remarkably declined the number of signal bars, based on just how the phone is gripped. Other two apologies came in regard with website delays when iPhone pre-orders were started online on June 15 and later for store shortages after the launch of the device. Apple in an open letter to customers said, "Upon investigation, we were stunned to find that the formula we use to calculate how many bars of signal strength to display is totally wrong." Making most of Apple's embarrassment is contender Motorola. In its latest ad for Droid X, Motorola claims users can "hold the phone any way they like," making a sly remark on Apple's shortcoming. Apple in its defense responded that, "gripping almost any mobile phone in certain ways will reduce its reception by one or more bars." It is said that the condition is not unique to iPhone and that it affects other phones too like Nokia or phones running on Android software. Kenneth Dulaney, a long-time cellphone analyst says of the present condition that, "it could be that some of Apple's secrecy could be reducing the number of test cases they expose the device to; therefore some of these problems show." Addressing consumer complaints, Apple said it will update its software using a formula recommended by AT&T, the exclusive U.S. provider of the iPhone. In spite of the complaints, iPhone 4 remains Apple's most successful phone launch ever. By June 26, its sales figures reached 1.7 million. And Apple analysts predict the phone would remain as popular, despite the complaints. Pacific Crest analyst Andy Hargreaves said, "The demand is so far past what they're able to supply right now, the impact would have to be massive to hurt sales numbers."

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